1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to training apparatus for cattle roping and, in particular, a dally practice apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In certain rodeo events, such as team steer roping, and in actual cattle working operations, it is often required for a pair of ropers to rope an animal as a team. One roper ropes the animal around the head while the other ropes the hind legs or heels of the animal. Each roper's work must be done while on horseback. Each rider must after roping then perform a "dally," i.e., wrapping an end of the rope around the roper's saddle horn. The dally enables the rider to exert pressure and contain the animal at the other end of the rope and further allows the rider to quickly release the roped animal, if and when necessary, by releasing the free end of the rope which then is free to unwrap itself from the saddle horn.
In rodeo competition, the steer roping event is best described as fast paced action and there is no room for error. It is a race against the clock and only hundredths of a second may distinguish the winners from the losers. Thus, it is vitally important that each phase of the event be performed as rapidly and instinctively as possible. Many hours of practice are spent in the practice of roping and the formation of the dally. It is also vitally important to practice the formation of the dally to prevent the roping horseback rider's finger, thumb, or hand from being caught between the saddle horn and the rope during the formation of the dally. In the event this occurs, the extreme tension in the rope can sever a finger or severely damage a hand or wrist. Somewhat surprisingly, experience has shown that the risk of injury is greater if the horseback rider looks at the rope and saddle horn while forming the dally than if the rider is looking at the roped stock. Thus, it is extremely crucial that the rider be able to instinctively form the dally, without looking down at the saddle horn, while maintaining eye contact and attention on the action at the other end of the rope.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,546 relates to a dally practice apparatus wherein the "rider" sits on a saddle mounted on a saddle support while holding one end of a rope which passes though a pulley apparatus and has a second end suspending a weight therefrom to maintain tension in the rope while forming the dally and to simulate the pulling force of a roped animal at the end of the rope. The dally practice apparatus does not allow practice of the rapid roping and dally sequence, nor does it allow movement or position adjustment simulation for the roper with respect to the animal, either prior to or after the animal has been roped.